Al-Hilal Extend Lead With 3-0 Victory Over Al-Hazem As Neves Stunner Seals Win

Al-Hilal tightened control of the Saudi Pro League title race with a 3-0 home victory over Al-Hazem, moving four points clear at the top and increasing the pressure on Al-Nassr, who can trim the gap to a single

point by beating Al-Qadsiah later on 8 January 2026.

The win, secured by goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Ruben Neves and Darwin Nunez, extended Al-Hilal’s impressive league streak and highlighted the team’s dominance at Kingdom Arena, where Al-Hilal have built a strong record that continues to shape the current Saudi Pro League campaign.

Al-Hilal controlled both territory and chances, finishing with 14 shots and an expected goals figure of 2.99, compared with Al-Hazem’s six attempts and xG of 0.12 against Mohammed Al Yami’s goal, underlining a one-sided contest that matched the scoreline and reinforced Al-Hilal’s status as front-runners.

That performance also extended Al-Hilal’s strong form at Kingdom Arena, where Al-Hilal are unbeaten in 11 Saudi Pro League home games, winning nine and drawing two, while the latest success marked a fifth straight home league victory and underpinned a wider run of consistent results across the competition.

Filippo Inzaghi’s side have now won 10 consecutive league matches, matching a sequence last achieved between May and October 2024, and Al-Hilal are unbeaten in 21 Saudi Pro League fixtures overall, with 16 wins and five draws, placing significant pressure on nearest challengers Al-Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The early stages against Al-Hazem brought an important test, as goalkeeper Bruno Varela denied Marcos Leonardo inside three minutes with a close-range save, yet Leonardo continued to threaten, sending two further efforts off target before Al-Hilal finally turned pressure into reward through a well-worked opening goal.

That breakthrough arrived in the 29th minute when Ruben Neves, operating deep, delivered a precise diagonal pass that picked out Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s timed run into the area, and Milinkovic-Savic glanced a clever header beyond Bruno Varela to give Al-Hilal a deserved lead and greater control of the match.

Al-Hilal almost increased the advantage four minutes later, but Bruno Varela produced a sharp double save, first blocking Mohamed Kanno’s strike and then reacting quickly to keep out Malcom’s follow-up, moments that briefly kept Al-Hazem in touch despite the growing attacking pressure from the home side.

After half-time, Al-Hilal finally found breathing space when Ruben Neves collected possession around 25 yards from goal and unleashed a powerful drive that crashed off the underside of the crossbar before crossing the line, giving Al-Hilal a 2-0 cushion and rewarding Neves’ influence in midfield.

The scoring was completed in the 90th minute as substitutes combined, Kaio Cesar sending a low ball across the six-yard box where Darwin Nunez arrived to score a simple tap-in, sealing Al-Hilal’s 11th league win of the season and adding further weight to their title credentials in the Saudi Pro League.

Team	Goals	Shots	Expected Goals (xG)
Al-Hilal	3	14	2.99
Al-Hazem	0	6	0.12

The result, achieved with a clean sheet, extended Al-Hilal’s long unbeaten league run, strengthened a commanding position in the Saudi Pro League standings and ensured Al-Nassr’s later fixture carried added significance in the title picture, while Kingdom Arena again proved a reliable base for Al-Hilal’s push.

3 points and a clean sheet Congratulations Bluespic.twitter.com/antu08VV3QAlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) January 8, 2026